Various floating accessories have been developed for use in swimming pools to accommodate beverage cups, containers, sunglasses, suntanning preparation containers and other small items utilized by bathers. For example, cup holders have been attached to floating chairs and lounge mats and to pool skimmers and similar floating filter devices.
Portable radios, with and without ear plugs have also been developed for use by bathers. However, due to their small size and limited battery power and capacity, these small portable radios of the prior art have a limited audible range and are generally limited to personal use.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a floating platform or entertainment center that maintains and stores beverage containers, cups and other personal items and that also includes a power source sufficient to power a radio, tape or CD player having one or more speakers that are capable of broadcasting audible signals to users in, and around the pool.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a floating electronic entertainment station that can be powered by on-board batteries, by a cable attached to a relatively low-voltage power supply, e.g., 12-volts, outside of the pool; or by a power cable extending from a robotic pool cleaner which cleaner is either battery-powered or receives its power from outside the pool via another separate cable.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a floating electronic platform equipped with solar collectors that are attached to one or more rechargeable batteries that are located on-board the floating platform or in a remote battery-powered robotic pool cleaner.
In yet another preferred embodiment, a floating electronic platform that supports one or more solar energy collection panels and a battery or battery pack provides the electrical power via a power cable attached to a robotic pool cleaner. In this embodiment, the robotic pool cleaner has no battery of its own, and is therefore considerably lighter in weight and easier to remove and transport outside of the pool than a comparable model having its own internal rechargeable batteries. Pool cleaners of the prior art that receive their electrical power from a remote, pool-side power source can be utilized in this embodiment. Since the power cable extending between the pool cleaner and the floating electronic platform can a positive buoyancy, the tethering of the platform on the surface will not impede the patterns of movement of the submerged pool cleaner during its operation.